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http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/10/bioware-cancels-shadowrealms/http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/10/bioware-cancels-shadowrealms/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments

Well, that was quick. Six months after its debut, BioWare's announced it's canceled its online action-RPG, Shadow Realms. The Austin-based studio isn't moving forward with the four-versus-one PC game because, as the studio's general manager Jeff Hickman tells it, it's working on other things at the moment --including the next Mass Effect, add-on content for last year's Dragon Age: Inquisition and the team's Star Wars online RPG, The Old Republic. As GamesIndustry notes, that last title might attract new players given this December's release of The Force Awakens. Don't fret if you signed up for Shadow Realms' closed alpha, though, as BioWare says it's working on a reward for your trouble.

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BioWarebiowareaustingaminghdhdpostcrosspcPcGamingshadowrealmsTue, 10 Feb 2015 05:01:00 -050021|21140955http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/hyperspace-beacon-seven-things-i-learned-while-writing-about-sw/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/hyperspace-beacon-seven-things-i-learned-while-writing-about-sw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/hyperspace-beacon-seven-things-i-learned-while-writing-about-sw/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
This travel through hyperspace cannot be compared to anything else. Not many people get an opportunity to work on something they love professionally, like my writing about Star Wars: The Old Republic. With Massively as we know it coming to an end, it's time to say goodbye to this passenger.

Before I actually say my final farewell to Massively, I'd like to leave you, fans of Massively and the Hyperspace Beacon, with a list of things that I've learned from writing this column.

"We didn't take these actions lightly," Musco posts, "and reviewed every account to determine where we could be lenient. From our end, this was a no win situation. We feel responsible for allowing the exploit to occur and remain in the game for an unreasonable length of time, but we also cannot and will not condone cheating."

Penalties applied to the affected accounts ranged from a warning and one day ban to even full and permanent suspensions. Musco finished up the post by encouraging players to continue to report potential exploits as soon as they are found.

SWTOR Forum post
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biowareeaelectronic-artsendgameeric-muscoexploitf2pfree-to-playlucasartsoperationspveraidsravagerssci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorSat, 31 Jan 2015 18:00:00 -0500319|21137227http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/hyperspace-beacon-examining-swtors-producer-letter/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/hyperspace-beacon-examining-swtors-producer-letter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/hyperspace-beacon-examining-swtors-producer-letter/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
At the community cantina that Star Wars: The Old Republic held this past weekend at PAX South, community manager Eric Musco said that the community team was going to do something different in 2015 during the cantinas. He said that he wanted to reveal some tidbit at each and every event. And this cantina yielded us an early look at Producer Bruce Maclean's roadmap letter to the community.

In the letter, he talks about where the SWTOR story will take us, what's on the horizon for flashpoints, personal stories, planets, and the outfit designer. But what is all this new stuff, and should it get people excited about the coming year? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer for that. If you play for similar reasons as I do, then there is plenty to be excited about. However, there are certain players, like PvPers, who might be a little frustrated by what they are seeing and not seeing in the letter.

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biowarebruce-macleanconconventioneaelectronic-artseric-muscoeventevent-coverageeventsexpofeaturedhyperspace-beaconlucasartsmassively-event-coverageopinionoutfit-designerpaxpax-2015pax-southpax-south-2015penny-arcade-expopvpsci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorziostTue, 27 Jan 2015 12:00:00 -0500319|21134817http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/pax-south-2015-swtor-reveals-its-plans-for-this-year/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/pax-south-2015-swtor-reveals-its-plans-for-this-year/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/pax-south-2015-swtor-reveals-its-plans-for-this-year/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
When Eric Musco, the Star Wars: The Old Republic community manager, took the stage at the Community cantina last night at PAX South, he revealed that in 2015 the team wants to do something a bit different with this and future cantina crawl events. In the past, it has been policy not to reveal anything at the cantinas; they were intended to be social events where players could get some face-time with the developers of the game that they both enjoyed. However, going forward, the community and development teams have decided that each cantina will reveal that had not been mentioned before.

The reveal at this weekend's cantina came in the form of the yet-to-be-published producer's letter by Bruce Maclean. The completely made-up story is that it was stolen from his computer while he wasn't looking and printed out to share with us at the cantina.

After the break, you'll find a copy of that letter as it was dictated to cantina goers. The caveat, of course, is that this is not the final version of the letter that will appear on the official site in two weeks, so everything is subject to change.

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biowarebruce-macleancommunity-cantina-tourconconventioneaelectronic-artseric-muscoeventevent-coverageeventsexpof2pfeaturedfree-to-playlucasartsmassively-event-coveragepaxpax-2015pax-southpax-south-2015penny-arcade-expoproducers-lettersci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorSat, 24 Jan 2015 13:00:00 -0500319|21134314http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/swtor-qanda-mentions-12x-soloable-flashpoints/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/swtor-qanda-mentions-12x-soloable-flashpoints/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/swtor-qanda-mentions-12x-soloable-flashpoints/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
Werit has posted a Q&A with Star Wars: The Old Republic's community team. It touches on the well-received 12x experience boost, which BioWare says it will be discussing "later this year." There's also a bit about making older flashpoints soloable and while BioWare says it doesn't want to make all group content accessible to single players, it does have "some major story moments that [it] would like every player to see."

Werit
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biowareeaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playgrindlucasartssci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorThu, 22 Jan 2015 17:30:00 -0500319|21133637http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/star-wars-the-old-republic-will-address-balance-and-ranked-pvp/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/star-wars-the-old-republic-will-address-balance-and-ranked-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/star-wars-the-old-republic-will-address-balance-and-ranked-pvp/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsStar Wars: The Old Republic is launching update 3.1 in about a month, and the developers are using this patch to address some standing issues. The patch also kicks off the game's fourth ranked play season, which is scheduled to last about three months. This season will be used as the basis for some new ranked play adjustments, such as implementing a "floor" rating for picking up the lowest-tier season rewards in Season 5. The season's titles will also be class-specific based on forum feedback.

Ranked play in 2015, Kinetic Combat/Darkness balance thread, Test server patch
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balancebiowareclassclassescompetitioneaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playgame-balancegame-mechanicslucasartsmechanicsnewsnews-itemspatchpatchesranked-playranked-pvpranked-seasonssci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorupdateupdatesFri, 16 Jan 2015 09:00:00 -0500319|21130731http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/hyperspace-beacon-handling-swtor-exploits/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/hyperspace-beacon-handling-swtor-exploits/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/13/hyperspace-beacon-handling-swtor-exploits/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
On this week's Hyperspace Beacon, I'd like to discuss the exploit issues that have popped up in Star Wars: The Old Republic as of late. Admittedly, the widespread exploit that SWTOR recently experienced wasn't gamebreaking, and it certainly didn't fracture the economy as exploits in other games have. In fact, I don't even think that a rollback or anything severe was even considered for this particular exploit. However, the community team mentioned some things in its handling of the situation that made me wonder about exploits and cheats that violate the intent of the game designers.

I don't know that I will have all the answers in regard to how to handle specific situations, but I really intend for this to be a conversation starter. I want to read your thoughts in the comments.

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biowarecorellian-run-radioeaelectronic-artseric-muscoexploitsfeaturedheather-pretty-little-sithhyperspace-beaconlucasartsootinicastopinionRednasci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorTue, 13 Jan 2015 12:00:00 -0500319|21128362http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/not-so-massively-smites-tourney-shadow-realms-do-over-heroe/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/not-so-massively-smites-tourney-shadow-realms-do-over-heroe/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/not-so-massively-smites-tourney-shadow-realms-do-over-heroe/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsWelcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs.

SMITE's world championships closed with half of a $2.6 million prize pool -- the third largest in e-sports history -- awarded to winners Cognitive Prime. SMITE also revealed character Hou Yi and opened Xbox One beta signups.

Elite: Dangerous is expanding both its team and its feature set, and it reversed its decision on how to handle the billionaire players created by last week's bug. Elite: Dangerous players also made headlines with their goal to chart out the whole galaxy for science.

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biowareblacklight-retributionblizzardbrianna-royce-nsmchaos-heroeschaos-heroes-onlinecognitive-primecompetitive-gamingdayzdestinydotadota-2e-sporte-sportseducationeliteelite-dangerousesportesportsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playgamer-launchguild-launchhawkgirlhearthstoneheroes-of-the-stormhotshou-yiinfinite-crisisleague-of-legendslolminecraftmobamojangnathan-adamsnewsnot-so-massivelynsmopinionoverwatchplanets-3planets3prize-poolpvpround-uproundupshadow-realmssmitethe-internationaltournamentturbineuniversityvalvevideovideoswar-thunderworld-championshipsww2zombie-studiosMon, 12 Jan 2015 20:00:00 -0500319|21126138http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/swtor-devs-looking-at-lag-issues-prepping-3-0-2-and-3-1-updates/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/swtor-devs-looking-at-lag-issues-prepping-3-0-2-and-3-1-updates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/swtor-devs-looking-at-lag-issues-prepping-3-0-2-and-3-1-updates/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsBioWare reps are all over Star Wars: The Old Republic's official forums as the week winds down. Thus far we've gotten an announcement about the game's 3.0.2 update which is scheduled to go live on January 13th. We also got a heads-up regarding the 3.1 update currently on the test server.

Finally, community manager Eric Musco chimed in with a lengthy post detailing what BioWare is doing about the prominent lag issues introduced with game update 3.0.

SWTOR forums
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biowareeaelectronic-artseric-muscof2pfree-to-playlucasartssci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorFri, 09 Jan 2015 17:30:00 -0500319|21127670http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/rumor-biowares-shadow-realms-totally-rebooted/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/rumor-biowares-shadow-realms-totally-rebooted/http://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/rumor-biowares-shadow-realms-totally-rebooted/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsShadow Realms is "going through big changes and may have been totally rebooted," according to an unnamed source who spoke to Kotaku. BioWare's episodic online action RPG was revealed in August of last year and was hit with an alpha delay on October 31st.

A "reliable source familiar with goings-on at BioWare Austin" tells Kotaku that the title was revamped in October and "will now have a full campaign." Why the changes? Apparently BioWare's decision to embrace the integration of EA's digital store and Origin coincided with the decision to reboot Shadow Realms. "Developers at EA take budget hits if they don't use internal technology and services," Kotaku says.

Kotaku
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biowareeaElectronic-Artsfantasyrumorshadow-realmsshadow-realms-rebootTue, 06 Jan 2015 15:30:00 -0500319|21125649http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/hyperspace-beacon-five-swtor-predictions-for-2015/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/hyperspace-beacon-five-swtor-predictions-for-2015/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/hyperspace-beacon-five-swtor-predictions-for-2015/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
It's that time again to make my educated guesses on what BioWare will attempt to accomplish in the coming year with Star Wars: The Old Republic. In the last Hyperspace Beacon, I gave my grade card for how I think 2014 went, but now I extinguish the Force ghost of Christmas past and get a visit from the blue-glowy of Christmas yet to come.

I don't always get everything right, but I like to make a guess anyway. When you've finished reading my predictions, let's continue the discussion in the comments. I want to hear your thoughts as well.

Attention, meatbags: If you somehow missed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic the first three times it was released, now might be your chance to finally fix that. How so? Well, BioWare'sexcellent role-playing game set in a galaxy far, far away is now available for Android devices. What's more, it's $5 on Google Play at the moment and, like the game's iOS counterpart, controller compatible as well. Given its complexities, you'll likely want to play it on a device with a sizable bit of screen real-estate. Regardless of just how big the Galaxy Note 4 is, however, things still might get a little cramped. Maybe living out your Light (or Dark) side fantasies on an NVIDIA Shield gizmo might be a bit more comfortable instead. Early Play Store reviews note that it's running pretty well on a variety of 'droids (including the two year-old Nexus 4), so maybe now is the time to find out what having a wookie life-debt is like.

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androidAspyrMediaBioWaregaminggooglehdKnightsOfTheOldRepublickotormobilepostcrossStarWarsTue, 23 Dec 2014 00:18:00 -050021|21120197http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/20/dark-age-of-camelot-takes-aim-at-group-finder-and-bug-fixes/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/20/dark-age-of-camelot-takes-aim-at-group-finder-and-bug-fixes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/20/dark-age-of-camelot-takes-aim-at-group-finder-and-bug-fixes/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
An end-of-the-year community Q&A at Dark Age of Camelot revealed that the team has a lot on the docket for Patch 1.117, including the long-awaited casual group finder and a heap of bug fixes.

"We think that focusing our development resources on bug fixing for an entire patch cycle is something that hasn't been done in a long time and is something that will make everyone's gameplaying experience that much better!" Broadsword posted.

Other topics discussed include freeing up space in quest logs, plans to update the patcher, and ideas to help out starter guilds. The Q&A even revealed that there will be "official Broadsword player reps" and "scheduled raids of all sorts" for trial accounts, although details on those will be coming later.

Grab bag
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biowarebroadswordbroadsword-online-gamesbugbug-fixesbugscamelotclassic-mmocommunity-q-and-adaocdark-age-of-cameloteaelectronic-artsfantasygrab-baggroup-findermythicmythic-entertainmentmythologypatchPatch-1.117previewpvpq-and-arvrSat, 20 Dec 2014 15:00:00 -0500319|21119150http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/celebrate-swtors-sacred-life-day-by-launching-frozen-orbs-of-wa/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/celebrate-swtors-sacred-life-day-by-launching-frozen-orbs-of-wa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/celebrate-swtors-sacred-life-day-by-launching-frozen-orbs-of-wa/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
If there's a Christmasy holiday in MMOs these days, you can bet your bottom credit that there will be a snowball fight somewhere in it. Apparently, MMO developers worldwide got together in 2009 and signed a sacred pact to feature snowball fights in all of their games in December. And so it is with Star Wars: The Old Republic and this year's Life Day.

SWTOR'sLife Day celebration begins today and will go through January 6th. It will feature snowball fights that have a chance of awarding parcels that can be traded for rewards, grumpy parcel droids that need a good cooling off, and several new cash shop items including a mini Wampa pet.

Life Day
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biowarechristmaschristmas-2014eaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playholidaylucasartssci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorwinter-2014winter-holidaywinter-holidayswinter-holidays-2014Tue, 16 Dec 2014 14:30:00 -0500319|21117143http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-2014-report-card/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-2014-report-card/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-2014-report-card/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
In 1996, Richard Bartle published a study of MMO gamers that eventually led to his 2003 book Designing Virtual Worlds, which was at the time the de facto MMO genre's design bible. Of course, this was before World of Warcraft hit the scene, but many of the principles Bartle laid out still hold true. In fact, if you don't believe me, take it yourself: GamerDNA still has an online test based on the Bartle study.

Bartle categorized players based on their interests in the game; I would like to do the same this year as I did last year for Star Wars: The Old Republic since it's a good way to measure the game against the average expectations of certain types of players. Bartle divides us all into Achievers, Socializers, Explorers, and Killers. I'll explain what each of those means as I discuss the different aspects of SWTOR. If you know what that means and so you have a point of reference, my profile is SEAK, which means that I interact with all types of players.

For fun, I've added a grade-card-style of rating system: A, B, C, D, or F. Just remember the information I give about that score counts for more than the score itself.

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bartlebartle-testbiowareeaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playhyperspace-beaconlucasartsopinionreport-cardrichard-bartlesci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictoryear-end-reportTue, 16 Dec 2014 13:00:00 -0500319|21116453http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/the-daily-grind-do-you-fill-out-cancellation-surveys/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/the-daily-grind-do-you-fill-out-cancellation-surveys/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/the-daily-grind-do-you-fill-out-cancellation-surveys/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I cancelled my Star Wars: The Old Republic subscription this week. Given my history with the game I'm sure it's only temporary, but for now I got what I needed out of the 12x event and I'm off to greener pastures.

I told BioWare as much in the post-cancel survey thing, too, but I seriously doubt it'll be removing the gear grind just for me! What about you, Massively readers? Do you think cancellation surveys are a formality? Do you fill them out?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

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biowaredaily-grindeaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playgear-grindgrindlucasartsopinionsci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortdgthe-daily-grindthe-old-republictorThu, 11 Dec 2014 08:00:00 -0500319|21114481http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/10/swtor-turning-three-giving-away-anniversary-decor/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/10/swtor-turning-three-giving-away-anniversary-decor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/10/swtor-turning-three-giving-away-anniversary-decor/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsStar Wars: The Old Republic is turning three this month, and BioWare is celebrating by making the game's Coruscant and Dromund Kaas Stronghold housing instances available for three credits.

Which isn't as cool as it sounds, since their normal 5,000 credit price is pocket change that you can earn in 30 seconds. But hey, three! Fortunately the devs are doing something else that is actually cool. Namely, they're giving away slick-looking decor for your player house including a holographic projection of the galaxy, paintings, and a fireworks launcher.

You can pick these up at the Anniversary Personnel vendor in the Strongholds area of the Fleet from December 16th through January 13th.

Announcement
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anniversarybiowareeaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playhousinghow-about-the-tatooine-house-for-3-creditslucasartssci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorswtor-anniversarythe-old-republictorWed, 10 Dec 2014 16:30:00 -0500319|21114530http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/swtor-releases-shadow-of-revan-trailer-to-celebrate-official-lau/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/swtor-releases-shadow-of-revan-trailer-to-celebrate-official-lau/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/swtor-releases-shadow-of-revan-trailer-to-celebrate-official-lau/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
Early access for Star Wars: The Old Republic's Shadow of Revan expansion technically opened last week, but for non-subscribers, the formal digital launch date is today. Predictably, BioWare has released a new trailer to coincide with the official launch. Spoilers: Revan, lightsabers, ominous proclamations, etc.

Dev post, Press release
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biowareeaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playlucasartssci-fishadow-of-revanstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictortrailertrailersvideovideosTue, 09 Dec 2014 14:00:00 -0500319|21005041http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/06/star-wars-the-old-republic-axes-skill-training-costs/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/06/star-wars-the-old-republic-axes-skill-training-costs/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/06/star-wars-the-old-republic-axes-skill-training-costs/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsSWTOR penny-pinchers rejoice, for the oppressive tyranny of skill costs are about to become history. In a post on the forums this afternoon, BioWare announced that it will be abandoning skill training costs as of next week.

"One thing has become clear from the player feedback in not only this thread, but since launch: players do not like training costs. It is a situation where every level you will see your hard earned credits go to a holographic Hutt doctor in order to make yourself a bit stronger. We have been talking about this topic internally for quite some time and when you add player feedback to the mix one thing becomes clear... We should make training costs a thing of the past," the studio said.

Official forums
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biowareeaeconomyelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playlucasartssci-fiskillskill-costskill-training-costskillsstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictortraining-costsSat, 06 Dec 2014 12:00:00 -0500319|21003664http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/soloing-through-swtors-shadow-of-revan/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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Some people question how you can be a solo player in an MMO. To be honest, I, too, question how someone can do the whole game solo, but I do understand the desire to experience the game at your own pace. I believe the creators of Star Wars: The Old Republic understand this, too. Game director James Ohlen said that the biggest thing players wanted was the continuation of Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2. Although part of the SWTOR story did continue the Revan and Exile stories, a lot of players haven't even touched on that storyline.

In a multiplayer game, it's hard sometimes to experience the story solo with all the group-only material. However, Shadow of Revan creates an amazing opportunity for the solo MMO player to really experience the full story it has to offer.

Fair warning: I will not spoil major plot points for the expansion, but I will reveal some key characters in order to talk you through this leveling experience.

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biowareeaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfreemiumhands-onlucasartsmicrotransactionmicrotransactionsopinionpremiumsci-fishadow-of-revansolo-contentsolo-flashpointssolo-levelingstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorFri, 05 Dec 2014 14:00:00 -0500319|21002952http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/04/pick-up-a-swtor-stronghold-for-practically-nothing/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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If you haven't planted roots in Star Wars: The Old Republic's strongholds or are on a quest to collect them all, then BioWare has a nice surprise for you. Buried in the patch notes for this week's Shadows of Revan expansion is an announcement that the studio is selling two of its strongholds for a pittance.

"To celebrate our impending 3rd anniversary, the Dromund Kaas and Coruscant Strongholds are now available for three credits!" BioWare posted. Typically, these strongholds go for 5,000 credits or 50 cartel coins.

Patch notes
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3rd-anniversaryanniversarybiowareeaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playgiveawayhousinglucasartsplayer-housingsci-fishadows-of-revanstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstrongholdswtorthe-old-republictorThu, 04 Dec 2014 11:30:00 -0500319|21002908http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/03/leaderboard-are-you-playing-shadow-of-revan-this-week/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/03/leaderboard-are-you-playing-shadow-of-revan-this-week/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/03/leaderboard-are-you-playing-shadow-of-revan-this-week/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsStar Wars: The Old Republic's latest expansion debuts this week, and it brings with it quite a bit of new content. There are of course five additional levels and a few new skills to go along with all the discipline-based class changes. And there are two new planets (Rishi and Yavin IV) along with new story and leveling content.

Is that enough to pique your interest? Are you playing Shadow of Revan this week? Vote after the cut, and let us know what you think either way!

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battle-royalbiowareclasseseaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playleaderboardlucasartsmmo-storyone-on-oneone-vs-oneopinionpollpollssci-fishadow-of-revanstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstoryswtorthe-old-republictorversusvotevotesvotingvsWed, 03 Dec 2014 16:00:00 -0500319|21001812http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/02/hyperspace-beacon-playing-the-shadow-of-revan/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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When I was first introduced to the expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic, there were two things I wanted to see: the continuation of the class story and Yavin 4. And I'm happy to say that this expansion delivered both of those in a satisfying way. When I spoke to studio game director James Ohlen and lead writer Charles Boyd about the expansion a few weeks ago, they told me that Shadow of Revan would close one major chapter and open a new book for SWTOR. After seeing the expansion, I have to agree that Shadow of Revan does put a great cap on a class stories and opens the door for an exciting future for the game.

I don't want to give you the impression that everything in the expansion is exactly what I wanted, though. There is a surprising lack of exploration, the amount of content fell short, and parts of the maps felt slapped together. The screenshots depict beautiful scenes, but sometimes form outweighs function.

Before I continue, I feel obligated to tell you that there are spoilers of previous content in this piece, but the important parts of the new content will remain unspoiled.

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biowarecharles-boydeaelectronic-artsexpansionfeaturedFirst-Impressionshands-onhyperspace-beaconjames-ohlenlaunchlaunch-daylauncheslucasartsopinionrevanrishisci-fishadow-of-revanstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorYavin-IVTue, 02 Dec 2014 11:00:00 -0500319|21000972http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/01/here-are-some-screens-from-swtors-new-planet/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/01/here-are-some-screens-from-swtors-new-planet/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/01/here-are-some-screens-from-swtors-new-planet/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsStar Wars: The Old Republic's website has updated with a new developer blog called Rishi: Places of Interest. Actually, let me back up. It's not really a developer blog, even though it's listed in the site's developer blog section.

It's actually something of an in-character journal/travel log, but don't worry if you're not a roleplayer. You can still look at the pretty screenshots that focus on points of interest around the planet Rishi, which debuts in this month's Shadow of Revan expansion.